Southeastern Arizona is a mecca for birders, famous among enthusiasts worldwide for its sky island mountains and its desert vistas – and for the rare birds that inhabit them. What is less well known is that the rest of our vast state, from the cool plateaus of the Four Corners to the blazing flats of the Colorado River, is equally rich: With more than 550 bird species on the official state list, Arizona – all of Arizona – offers birders, residents and visitors alike, an experience virtually unmatched anywhere else in the US. This new book will guide both novice and experienced birders to help identify the amazing diversity of bird life in the Sunset State. Crisp color photographs of birds in nature, authoritative text from an expert birder, and a handy portable trim size all combine to bring nature lovers a useful and beautiful guide to Arizona's most common birds.
Rick Wright leads birding and birds-and-art tours for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours. A widely published writer and popular lecturer on subjects from sparrow identification to French hummingbird collectors, Wright spent nine years living and birding in Tucson with his wife, Alison Beringer. They now live in northern New Jersey – when, that is, they and their chocolate lab, Gellert, are unable to get away to their beloved southeast Arizona.
Brian E. Small has been a full-time professional bird and nature photographer for more than 25 years. He served as the Photo Editor for the American Birding Association's membership magazine Birding for the past 15 years. Brian grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from U.C.L.A. in 1982 and still lives there today with his wife Ana, daughter Nicole and son Tyler.